Industrial Designer

What you need to know

Overview

Industrial designers develop the concepts for manufactured products, such as cars, home appliances, and toys. They combine art, business, and engineering to make products that people use every day. Industrial designers consider the function, aesthetics, production costs, and usability of products when developing new product concepts.

What is this career like?

Industrial designers work in offices in a variety of industries. Although industrial designers work primarily in offices, they may travel to testing facilities, design centers, clients’ exhibit sites, users’ homes or workplaces, and places where the product is manufactured.

Some of the things a industrial designer might do:

Consult with clients to determine requirements for designs

Research the various ways a particular product might be used, and who will use it

Sketch out ideas or create renderings, which are images on paper or on a computer that provide a visual of design ideas

Use computer software to develop virtual models of different designs

Create physical prototypes of their designs

Examine materials and manufacturing requirements to determine production costs

Work with other specialists such as mechanical engineers and manufacturers to evaluate whether their design concepts will fill needs at a reasonable cost

Evaluate product safety, appearance, and function to determine if a design is practical

Present designs and demonstrate prototypes to clients for approval

What skills are needed?

Analytical skills: Industrial designers use logic or reasoning skills to study consumers and recognize the need for new products.

Artistic ability: Industrial designers sketch their initial design ideas, which are used later to create prototypes. As such, designers must be able to express their design through illustration.

The average pay for industrial designers in the United States ranges from $36,430 to $106,950.

The specific pay depends on factors such as level of experience, education and training, geographic location, and specific industry.

What is the career outlook?

Employment of industrial designers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2016 to 2026, slower than the average for all occupations.

Employment of industrial designers is likely to continue to grow in areas that require a high degree of technical ability and design sophistication. Products in these areas require detailed user specifications to be incorporated into the design process in order to meet consumer expectations and ensure the efficient and enjoyable use of the product.

What education is required?

A bachelor’s degree in industrial design, architecture, or engineering is usually required for entry-level industrial design jobs. Most industrial design programs include courses in drawing, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), and three-dimensional modeling, as well as courses in business, industrial materials and processes, and manufacturing methods.

Many programs provide students with the opportunity to build a professional portfolio of their designs by collecting examples of their designs from classroom projects, internships, or other experiences. Students can use these examples of their work to demonstrate their design skills when applying for jobs and bidding on contracts for work.